E-ISSN 2281-4612 ISSN 2281-3993 Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies MCSER Publishing, Rome-Italy Vol 4 No 3 S1 December 2015 481 Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Development in Mountainous Areas - Case of Kelmend Nertila Dilaveri, Msc (PhD Candidate) University of Shkodra “L. Gurakuqi”, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Geography nertiladilaveri@live.com Bresena Kopliku, PhD University of Shkodra “L. Gurakuqi”, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Geography bresena@yahoo.com Doi:10.5901/ajis.2015.v4n3s1p481 Abstract Natural and Cultural Heritage preservation is an important issue toward sustainable development. This paper is focused on Kelmend - a region lying in Northern Albania in the cross border area with Montenegro. Its beauty and greatness is because of the natural heritage which constitutes the main advantage for its future development. Kelmend Region represents a typical alpine landscape with high peaks and deep valleys and with a rich biodiversity. The environment protection and the preservation of natural heritage is the most important aspect toward the sustainable development of the area, but cultural heritage is also as much important. It reflects an authentic complexity which is at risk. The article tries to explore this second issue: the socio-economic sustainability based on cultural heritage. Despite the rich and unspoiled natural and cultural heritage certain factors limits the effective management of the area. The tangible and intangible culture is not protected and is adapting everyday to the consumers’ needs being so under the threat of standardization. Through qualitative methodology we argue the possibility of using the past as a resource for the future in this specific area. Keywords: Cross Border Area, Cultural Heritage, Mountainous Area, Sustainable Development. 1. Theoretical Framework The Albanian rural area is distinguished for a rich and diverse rural heritage of immense values and exploitation possibilities, but by far the studies concerning this heritage have been mostly of ethnological nature and do not refer to the role that the valorization of rural heritage might have in the development of tourism in these areas (Laci, Kola). Landscape planning or development policies based on cultural heritage have mostly been an issue of study in Albania coastal areas where archaeological sites or potential exist and where environmental areas of exceptional value are also present (see Polese F, 2009) . Cultural resources have began recently to be taken in consideration by the economists and Ost argues that cultural resources have been analyzed and integrated in economic theories or research only recently because of the difficulties in dealing with qualitative or subjective matters (Ost 2009). An examination of the linkages between sustainable development and the cultural heritage should start by recognizing the important role that the latter plays in society (UNESCO 2013). As defined by UNESCO: The cultural heritage is a powerful asset for inclusive economic development, since it attracts investment and ensures green, locally based, stable and decent jobs relating to a wide range of sustainable activities in areas such as conservation, construction, food production, traditional healing and pharmacopoeia, crafts of all kinds and the arts in general, not to mention tourism. These jobs rely on human and other resources that cannot be moved out of the communities concerned, and when compared with other sectors of activity they offer economic opportunities to all groups within society, including women and young people (UNESCO 2013, 3-4) It is important to realize that heritage is not a fixed thing, but rather a process, so its preservation has to be based on preserving the conditions of the possibility to engage in these processes rather than fixing something (Winiwarter 2015, 29). Culture and heritage are renewable resources (Wall 2009, 31). The recognition that sustainability can only be a dynamic equilibrium, as the biosphere and human society are evolving brings up an important issue, the question of brought to you by CORE View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk provided by MCSER Journals Online and Printed (Mediterranean Center of Social...